Improvement in tobacco-strippers



UNITED STATES CHARLES MLLER, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACCO-STRIPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,259, dated August 22, 1&71.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES MLLER, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented an Improved Machine for Stripping Tobacco, of which the following is a specification The principal object of my invention is to construct a machine by which tobacco-leaves may be stripped of their central stem quickly and easily by cutting the stem from the leaf instead of by `pulling or tearing it out, as is done in the usual and well-known manner of stripping.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of principal parts of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of rollers N and its back-supporting bracket P. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of circular grooved guide and cutter F and knives should be constructed of the shape shown in Fig.

l, having its top side bars W built at an angle with the horizon, as shown in Fig. l. The center standard X of the frame should project above the inclined side bars Wfor the purpose of supporting a cross-bar P, to the center of which is attached a short arm or bar, g, which supports a grooved guide and cutting-roller, F, as shown in Fig. l. B is a rail or track laid upon top bars W. Upon said rail or track B is placed a movable car or box, S, supported upon rollers b which run upon the tracks or rails B. rEhe top of box S is constructed of two or more pieces, C C, shown in Figs. l and 2. Said pieces C C are supported upon springs a a within said box S. The object of springs a a is to press the upper boards C C of box S against rollers M and N, as shown in Fig. l. Two broad iexible bands, C C', are attached to the lower end of box S, and passing upward over the top of the elastic boards C C until they reach roller M; here they pass around said roller M and under seat D, and thence terminate in cords H H, which cords H H are carried over a roller, e, and have, at their lower ends, weights I. G G are broad flexible bands or belts, one end of which is attached to the upper end of box S, and pass from said box S downward until they reach roller N 5 they are here carried around roller N and upward toward the top of the machine, and terminate in cords H H, to the ends of which are attached weights I I, as shown in Figs. l and 2. E is a projecting piece of wood or metal, which is attached to the front of seat D and to the sides of bracket fn, forming a front extension of seat D, for the purpose of covering that portion of bands C C above seat D. F is a circular grooved guide and cutting-roller, and may be constructed in two parts, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to be adjustable in its width by the interposition of washers between them, if desired. rlhe outer edges of said guide-roller F are made with sharp cutting-edges. j' f are two knives, equal in length to the box S, and pivoted at their ends or in any other convenient part of their length. Said knives ff are set so as to rub or press against the outer edges of circular guide and cutting-roller F, so that when box S is moved up or down the roller F will be rotated by them. At each end of said knives f f is attached a projecting arm, Z, having its end bent downward at aright angle and passing through the bottom of the box S; at the lower end of arm l is attached arubber or other suitable spring, p, which presses arm l upward 5 and as knives fj' are pivoted at each end, as shown at r in Fig. 4, it will be seen that sprin gs p will keep the upper edges ofknives j' j' in constant contact with grooved guide and cutting-roller F. The outer end of roller N is supported in a bracket from the central upright post X of the frame. The inner end of said roller N has a groove, y, turned in it to receive a small arin, t, projecting from cross-bari?. Grooves y in rollers M and N serve as guides to belts or bands C( C and G G. H H are cords, which are fastened to the under sides of bands G G and C' C', so as to lay up from the surface ofthe under sides of said bands G G or C C. Said cords G G and C C run in grooves y in rollersM and N. It will thus be seen that all lateral motion of bands G G and C' C will be prevented. D is a seat, upon which the operator sits. L is roller or drum, to which is attached one end of a cord, R. Said cord R passes over a roller, d, at the upper or elevated end of top bar W, and thence to the under side of the upper end of car or box S. K is a wheel with projections w w. Said wheel K is attached to the outer end of the shaft of drinn L.

The operator, by pressing his foot upon said projections w w, will cause the car 'or box S to move upward upon its track B.

It will be seen from the above description that,

When the tobacco -leaves are opened out and placed upon table C C and over knives fj, holding or placing the central stem of the -lea under grooved guide and cutting-roller F, by pressing with the foot upon projections w w of Wheel K the car S will be moved upward with the tobaccoleaf between the grooved guide and cutting-roller F and knives ff, and that during this operation the central stem of the leaf will be cut out, and the leaves Will be booked at the same time. When a sufficient number of leaves have been booked they can then be taken from the machine.

When the operator lifts his foot from projections w w of Wheel K the car S will be brought down to itsY normal position, shown in Fig. l, by reason of the incline W and weights I I at the upper part of the machine.

It Will also be seen that top boards C C of box S will yield to the pressure as leaf after leaf is stripped in the machine and booked between bands C C and G G and top board C C of car S.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. The grooved guide and cutting-roller F, in combination with knives f f and car S, the said knives and car being inclined, as herein shown and described.

2. Rollers M and N, constructed with or without grooves y, in combination with bands C C and G G and cords H H, or their equivalents, and Weights'I I, or other equivalents therefor, as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. Elastic table C C, in combination with bands G G and C C', Weights I,and rollers e and c, substantially as herein shown and described.

CHARLES MLLER.

`Witnesses:

E. MAX FAsoLCH, J ULrUs MENDE. 

